THE OTHER STUFF . . .

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry aren't going to be left penniless -- FAR from it actually, according to Ryan Seacrest and Mark Cuban ... so long as they follow this advice. The two titans of industry -- who've successfully forged their own paths in entertainment and sports, and branded themselves masterfully -- sat down for the new, TMZ/FOX special, "Harry & Meghan: The Royals In Crisis," to share their thoughts on PH and MM's financial future in entertainment. As you might've heard, the former Royals are kinda on their own now. And, life ain't free!!! The question ... can they make an honest buck, and if so, how? Seacrest says it all depends on what they have to offer, which may come as a surprise to both the public and maybe even themselves, especially Harry. Bottom line, RS thinks there's untapped potential there. Mark Cuban is right there with him ... saying, if Har and Meg play their cards right, they could be just as successful and wealthy as the Obamas, if not more so. FOX's one-hour special gets into more than just what lies ahead for them though ... it's also a deep dive into what got them here to begin with. Piers Morgan has thoughts on that. Check it out ... he makes no bones about how he believes Meghan manipulated her way to the top, only to strip his country's Prince away from his people and family. Oof, harsh! Renowned writer Afua Hirsch has a different take, however, with which many others agree. Get ready for fireworks! 'The Royals in Crisis' aired on FOX Wednesday (Jan 29). (TMZ)

Mike Tindall is staying quiet on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's exit from royal life. The former professional rugby player, who is married to Queen Elizabeth's granddaughter Zara, was pressed on the hot family topic during a recent appearance on the House of Rugby podcast, where he's a regular guest. However, he quickly shut down the conversation. "Can we send Harry a hug? Is he alright?" inquired host Alex Payne. "Have you been in touch?" But Mike firmly responded, "Let's not talk about this." When Payne asked if the subject was a "no-go," Princess Anne's son-in-law replied, "No, because I don't know anything about it." Fellow rugby player James Haskell, who is pals with Prince Harry and attended the couple's royal wedding in May 2018, shared that he has been in contact with the royal. "I have sent my regards," Haskell said. "That's the extent of it." Prince Harry, 35, has a close relationship with his cousin Zara and her husband. Harry is godfather to their 1-year-old daughter Lena Tindall and attended her christening with Meghan last year. The royal family has mostly stayed mum on Meghan, 38, and Harry's decision to step down and split their time between the U.K. and North America. However, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, appeared to be caught off guard when asked about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex during a visit to a hospice earlier this month. "Will you miss Harry and Meghan?" a reporter asks, as seen in a videoshared on Twitter by ITV's Chris Ship. After a pause, Camilla smiles and says, "Hmm. Course." Prince Harry appeared at a Sentebale charity event earlier this month, where he spoke candidly about their agreement with the Queen regarding their exit from the royal family -- and their continued commitment to their causes. "It brings me great sadness that it has come to this. The decision that I have made for my wife and I to step back, is not one I made lightly. It was so many months of talks after so many years of challenges," he told the people gathered. "And I know I haven't always gotten it right, but as far as this goes, there really was no other option. What I want to make clear is we're not walking away, and we certainly aren't walking away from you." Harry has also announced his Invictus Games will continue. The Paralympic-style competition for wounded and recovering service members and veterans from around the world is heading to Germany in 2022. The Netherlands will host the 2020 Invictus Games in The Hague this May. (People)

When Louis C.K. took the stage for a surprise performance at a fundraiser, we're told, "You would have thought that God showed up, the response he got." The spy at the Patrice O'Neal benefit at City Center said that the (formerly?) disgraced comedian got "a standing ovation and prolonged screaming from the sold-out crowd." The comic -- who was ostracized after admitting in 2017 to masturbating in front of female comedians -- kidded to the crowd that he's been spending a lot of time in Europe ... because they still book him there. Also on the bill was Bill Burr, "The Daily Show's" Roy Wood Jr., Paul Virzi, Andrew Schulz and Ronny Chieng. Also spotted was Jeffrey Gurian, who was the late O'Neal's co-host on radio's "The Black Phillip Show." (Page Six)

Dog the Bounty Hunter -- who's been reeling after the death of his wife -- has a new woman he wants to marry, or at least he did for a moment while he was on 'Dr. Oz.' The other shock is the alleged bride-to-be is one of Beth Chapman's friends ... Moon Angell. Dog's been rumored to be dating her for a few weeks, pissing off his daughters, who have claimed he's lying about the relationship. It's caused a rift in the Chapman family. Regardless, Dog and Moon -- who was once Beth's assistant along with her BFF -- appeared on "The Dr. Oz Show" together ... and Dog shocked everyone by proposing to her. Sources connected to the show tell TMZ ... he also told Moon he loved her and revealed he was talking to God in the bathroom during a break, and God told him he should propose. However, sources close to Dog tell us ... the TV proposal, recorded last week, was NOT legit -- he was overly emotional and got caught up in the moment. We're told he did not give her a ring during the taping, and they are not engaged. It certainly didn't play out that way on the 'Dr. Oz' set though. People involved in the production tell us everyone in the studio thought Dog meant it. You can see the full interview and judge for yourself Monday on Dr. Oz's show. Our Dog sources say he's grown close to Moon -- who was maid of honor at his and Beth's wedding -- because she's helped him through the grieving process, which she's going through too. However, there is no wedding or even engagement plans for them as of now. (TMZ)

Demand for Kobe Bryant memorabilia is surging like crazy in the wake of his death -- with collectors paying INSANE prices to scoop up valuable items, TMZ Sports has learned. But, with the high demand comes scam artists looking to push fakes ... and the market is already on high alert. We spoke with multiple high-end collectible dealers who are all saying the same thing ... people are clamoring for anything Kobe ... and they're paying anywhere from 2x to 20x the price Kobe stuff was fetching before his death. For example, a game-worn and signed Kobe jersey from the 2004-2005 season was expected to hit $6,000 before his death ... but pre-bidders have already bumped the price to a starting $6,500 and the auction still runs for another month! Another high-end dealer who didn't want to be mentioned by name says an extremely rare Kobe basketball card (which was originally expected to sell around the $2,500 range) has sold in the private market after Kobe's death for nearly $50,000. Other dealers have told us straight up they're pressing pause on selling Kobe items because it doesn't feel right to capitalize on emotional fans. As for the fakes, multiple dealers have told us it's not uncommon for forgers to push out fake items and fake signatures on eBay and other platforms. Our experts are advising fans to only buy merchandise that's been authenticated from reputable sellers. (TMZ)

Beyonce might want a word with Popeyes honchos -- not about their chicken sandwich, but about their new fashion line. Yes, that's a real thing, and yes ... it looks like a total Bey copy. The fast-food chicken chain just unveiled new employee uniforms, which are surprisingly chic ... and very much look like Queen Bey's new Adidas x Ivy Park activewear collection. Take a look ... the resemblance is uncanny, from the maroon and orange color scheme to the casual and comfortable clothing options. Popeyes says ... "Nothing new here. Just the uniforms we wear every day." It also includes a link to its online store, where fans can buy the items from its fashionable uniform lineup ... which includes the tagline, "That Look From Popeyes." As for which came first -- the chicken or the Bey? Well, they might go hand in hand. Beyonce DID choose Popeyes colors for the new Ivy Park designs, after all. But, then again, Popeyes sure seems to have swiped her style. Next step for the chicken joint -- ship a bunch of free gear to celebrities!!! Worked for Bey but then again ... everything does. (TMZ)

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